Child Vaccinations

Cervical Smears

All women aged 24½-65 are now offered a cervical smear test by the NHS

Women between the ages of 24½ – 49 years will be invited every 3 years

Women between the ages of 50 – 64 will be called every 5 years

Women 65 and older will only be invited if there has been abnormal smears in the past.

You will receive a letter from the Health Authority on behalf of the Practice asking you to make an appointment with the Practice Nurse at the surgery for this test to be done. An information leaflet will also be sent to you explaining this procedure.

Regular smear tests are important, they pick up the early warning signals that could save your life.

Contraception

The practice provides a full range of contraceptive services. Once your contraceptive service is set up, some of the routine checks can be done by the practice nurses. We have lots of young people in this practice and both the doctors and the nurses are especially experienced in dealing with contraception in young people.

Urgent “morning after” contraception is also available at the minor injuries unit at Selby War Memorial Hospital. (It can be used up to 72 hours after having sex)

Minor Surgery

Practice GPs perform Minor Surgical Operations in the practice.

You need to see your GP in a routine appointment to discuss this. Examples of the types of procedures we do are:

Retinal Screening

Antenatal Clinics

Postnatal Support Group

Our Health Visiting team run a postnatal support group at the practice.

Online Services

Online Access to Medical Records

In addition to being able to book appointments and order repeat prescriptions online, patients can now request access to view their Detailed Coded Record online. As this will be information you would not want anyone else to see we will need you to bring some photo ID to Reception and sign a form to confirm that you understand the implications of this before we can upgrade your online access. As your GP will review the record first to ensure there is no third party information in the record it may be some time before access is granted dependant on demand and GP work load.

Online Access for Patients aged 15 and under

SystmOnline, the way to order repeat prescriptions and book appointments online, has changed recently and patients under 16 are no longer allowed to access this. The parents of patients aged up to 11 can request proxy access for their children and the parent would then be able to order repeat prescriptions online and book appointments online for their child. In order to prevent any breach of confidentiallity we do not allow parental access for children aged 11-15. When a patient reaches the age of 16 they can request online access in the usual way.

Why we do not Allow Online Access for Parents on Behalf of their 11-15 Year Old Children

Respecting patient confidentiality is an essential part of good care. This applies when the patient is a child or young person as well as when the patient is an adult. Without the trust that confidentiality brings, children and young people might not seek medical care and advice, or they might not tell a Doctor all the facts needed to provide good care. The same duties of confidentiality apply when using, sharing or disclosing information about children and young people as about adults. Although someone with parental responsibility can seek access to a child's medical records, if there is information given by the child or young person in confidence this would not normally be disclosed without their consent. In giving those with parental responsibility online access to their children’s records there is a risk that we could breech the confidentiality of the child. Therefore parents of children aged 11 years or more cannot currently have online access to their child’s records.

Travel Vaccinations

We can plan your travel vaccinations for you.

Either pick up a form from our reception desk, or download from here to complete and send to us. Please contact us 7 working days after we receive the form.

There is further information about countries and vaccinations required on the links below

It is important to start thinking about this as early as possible - at least 6 weeks before you travel - as an appointment will be required with the practice nurse to actually receive the vaccinations. These vaccines have to be ordered as they are not a stock vaccine. Your appointment needs to be at least 2 weeks before you travel to allow the vaccines to work.

Some travel vaccines are ordered on a private prescription and these incur a charge over and above the normal prescription charge. This is because not all travel vaccinations are included in the services provided by the NHS.

Non-NHS Services

Some services provided are not covered under our contract with the NHS and therefore attract charges. Examples include the following:

Medicals for pre-employment and driving requirements (HGV, PSV etc.)

Insurance claim forms

Prescriptions for taking medication abroad

Private sick notes

Vaccination certificates

Hepatitis B for occupational purposes (to be paid for by employer)

A list of our prices is available on request.

Teaching & Research

The practice is a teaching practice with medical students from the Hull York Medical School. We teach students from Year 3 and Year 5 of the medical school.

Students are involved with patients at the practice under the supervision of one of the doctors here. You will always be warned about this in advance and it is your right to decline this involvement.

We very much appreciate your involvement in helping to teach the doctors of the future.

The doctors responsible for the teaching in the practice are:

Dr Ruth Walker (responsible for Year 3 teaching)

Dr Mike Jobling

Dr Vanessa Martin (responsible for Year 5 teaching)

Dr Gill Kirkman

Dr Anna Hammond

Research

We constantly undertake audits to ensure that we are meeting quality standards and we also take part in research projects. If we would like you to be directly involved in a research project, you will be fully informed and your consent will be obtained.

Consent

Research and teaching are very helpful in ensuring the NHS improves quality of care and ensures new doctors are well qualified. It is however your right not to take part in teaching or research if you would rather not do this. Declining will not affect your care in any way.

Physiotherapy

Test Results

When you attend for a test of any kind you will be told how long you should expect to wait for the results. This will normally be 1 week after the test.

Please bear this in mind and call the surgery on 01757 211750 option 2 between 10am - 11am and 2pm - 3pm once sufficient time has elapsed.

Our Administration staff are not qualified to comment on results therefore it is your responsibility to check them and make any necessary follow-up appointment with the doctor.

Please note that we do have a strict policy regarding confidentiality and data protection. In this respect we will only give out results to the person they relate to unless that person has given prior permission for their release or if they are not capable of understanding them.

Blood Tests

A blood test is when a sample of blood is taken for testing in a laboratory. Blood tests have a wide range of uses and are one of the most common types of medical test. For example, a blood test can be used to:

assess your general state of health

confirm the presence of a bacterial or viral infection

see how well certain organs, such as the liver and kidneys, are functioning

A blood test usually involves the phlebotomist taking a blood sample from a blood vessel in your arm. and the usual place for a sample is the inside of the elbow or wrist, where the veins are relatively close to the surface. Blood samples from children are most commonly taken from the back of the hand. The child's hand will be anaesthetised (numbed) with a special cream before the sample is taken.

You can get your test results by phoning the practice between 10am - 11am and 2pm - 3pm on 01757 211750 and selecting option 2. Your results will normally be available one week after your test.

Do you have to be Fasting?

Fasting means only have water and no food, tea or coffee for 12 hours before the test.

IF YOU ARE DIABETIC AND HAVE BEEN GIVEN A FORM INDICATING THAT YOU SHOULD FAST, THEN PLEASE DISCUSS THIS WITH YOUR DIABETIC NURSE OR DOCTOR.

Blood tests are done in Selby and York

Selby: At Selby War Memorial Hospital

This is now a drop-in service, so no need to book an appointment

Monday to Thursday 08.00 - 17.00

and Friday 08.00 -11.30

York:‘Take a ticket and wait’ basis run by York Health Trust upstairs in Asda at Monks Cross

Open Monday to Thursday 08.00 - 17:00

and Friday 08.00 -14:30

York Hospital:

Monday to Friday 08.00 - 17:15

X-Ray

An X-ray is a widely used diagnostic test to examine the inside of the body. X-rays are a very effective way of detecting problems with bones, such as fractures. They can also often identify problems with soft tissue, such as pneumonia or breast cancer.

If you have a X-ray, you will be asked to lie on a table or stand against a surface so that the part of your body being X-rayed is between the X-ray tube and the photographic plate.

An X-ray is usually carried out by a radiographer, a healthcare professional who specialises in using imaging technology, such as X-rays and ultrasound scanners.

You can find out more about x-ray tests, how they are performed, their function and the risks by visiting the NHS Choices website.